it has come to pass...

Daybreak came early, maybe too early. Shades and hues that would have any sailor sighing in relief gave way to painting the sky with bloody reds, golden yellows, and sapphire blues. NADIRA had been relishing in the peace and quiet of the night. Sleep had evaded her once again, but the black velvet, strewn with newly found diamonds overhead, had taken all her attention and focus. Now, it was midday. The birds were full of chatter and everyone seemed to have disappeared. Out and about on their daily errands, she assumed. She welcomed the loneliness, as having time to herself was something she treasured.

Her strides were long, flowing like a gentle river, nothing that would give the impression to be feasible to such a small mare. Elegance and eloquence abounded her and she took this day to explore the herd land, while there appeared to be no interruptions to threaten her inquisitiveness. She didn’t have to travel far for her acute auditory senses to draw on hoof meeting dirt. Though it was more of a digging noise, then one of travel or movement. As curious as a feline, she set out to discover what the noise was all about. So much for interruptions, she thought.

The reverberation had traveled a further distance than she had calculated. But as she noted the path she was taking, she knew she had seen this pattern of flowers before. Wasn’t it the filly she had met while welcoming Romani back to the Foothills? The girl had a gift of being blessed with a trail of flowers that bloomed after her, and NADIRA was pretty keen on picking up things like this. So she wasn’t the only one curious enough to find out what all the hammering was about.

Rounding the bend in the landscape, NADIRA caught sight of the little filly, frozen in place, and another creature she had come across in a cave, not far from here. Though the lighting had been terrible in the cave, now his true coat was on display. She thought she remembered him as Argetlam. His dappled coat was no longer a dingy charcoal, but a grey. And his feathers were more prominent. But what was that on the ground, beside his hooves? Continuing up to the duo, she smiled down at the filly.

“It’s quite a pleasure to cross paths with you both.”

Vocals were warm like a summer breeze and soft, gentle like a rose petal. Her smile was inviting and spheres of sapphire, bright and alert. Inquisitive ears flicked to face forward, and her tiny maw drew in the direction of where the metal mouse lay. Glancing up at Arg, she threw a questioning look his way.

“Did you do that?”

The opaque mare was certain her surprise and curiosity had mimicked that of the filly. But it was already too late to take back her intrigue with his ability to mold things, let alone mold metal for that matter. She stood next to the filly, probably not much taller than her. She tried not to step on the blooming flowers that were surrounding her spotted frame. Every creature that roamed Helovia appeared to have unique markings, or patterns, or colors to give them uniqueness among each other. And here, NADIRA stood, colorless; a bloodless pigment on a canvas that melted into the background. But didn’t she prefer not to be noticed? So she could disappear and not have to explain things. Yes, that was it. The less attention drawn to her, she knew it was better that way. Fewer explanations meant more privacy.